The Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASSA) in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has successfully trained staff of the Water, Sanitation Hygiene department of the seventeen (17) LGAs of the state on the Village Level Operational Maintenance (VLOM) of Handpump Boreholes. The event which was a five-day training Workshop started on Monday 24th January 2022 to Friday 28th January 2022 in Pankshin LGA of Plateau State.
The training had in attendance staff of the WASH departments of the 17 LGAs of Plateau State as well as Staff of PRUWASSA led by the General Manager of Engineer Peter R. Kassam. In his remark during the opening ceremony of the event, the General Manager, who represented the Hon Commissioner of Water Resources and Energy Hon Saad Ibrahim Bello Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASSA), Engineer Peter Kassam noted that When you sustain access to adequate and equitable supply of safe drinking water, it always has an overarching significance in attaining and maintaining healthy communities in rural areas. According to him, Records shows that Ssnce the inception of the Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) concept in Nigeria , there is a mark increase in the access to improved water supply in rural areas.
Engineer Kassam informed participants that A VLOM pilot project, supported by the European Union(EU) and UKAID was implemented in forty one selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 12 states between 2016 and 2017. The result showed an overall 14.17% improvement in the functionality of hand pumps, raising the functionality status from a baseline value of 75% to 89%. In Plateau state,over 66 water facilities were rehabilitated in Riyom and Shendam LGAs under the UNICEF/Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF) collaboration btw 2016-2019. According to him, a National VLOM Strategy (NVS) has been developed, stressing that in sustaining and further improving on this achievement, the VLOM strategy has three functions:
- Putting facility ownership in the hands of the community.
- Establishment of VLOM Units as an institutionalized structure within the WASH Departments in all LGAs.
- Building capacity of Local Area Mechanics (LAMs).
He pointed out that all these are expected to be done with the objective of achieving 100% functionality in line with one of the Sustainable Development Goals target,(6.1) which is to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable water for all by the year 2030.
According to Engineer Kassam, the contribution of the training for WASH Officers to public health and human dignity cannot be overemphasized, adding that it was for that reason that he was pleased to welcome all participants to such a very important training.
The GM PRUWASSA Engineer Peter Kassam was short of words to describe the commitment of JICA Nigeria in ensuring Nigeria attains the SDG by 2030. He added that Plateau State is grateful to JICA Nigeria for accepting the request by PRUWASSA to support to the Organisation to train all the 17 LGAs WASH Depts Water officers in VLOM and buy complete Hand Pumps tool boxes to all the 17 LGAs and Pruwassa.
Stressing that this singular act by JICA Nigeria has gone along way to ignite a new partnership with the Plateau State Government, not only in the water sector but in other sectors, considering the fact that JICA Nigeria is a Multisectoral Organization.
The first and second days of the event were full of theoretical lectures by resource persons which covered Hygiene Promotion and Sanitation which is considered key in providing portable and safe drinking water especially in rural communities, which are the main targets of VLOM. The third and fourth days were for practical application of the knowledge participants had gained.
On the third and fourth days of the workshop, participants were sent out in group to identify broken down boreholes, assess them, identify the problems and fix them. During the field work, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) called on government and other non governmental organization to help in facilitating interventions aimed at developing the capacity of WASH officers in order for them to acquire the necessary skill needed to intervene in the rehabilitation of boreholes in rural communities.
Program Officer, WASH, Water Management, Urban Development and STI of JICA Nigeria,Mr Gomina Hamza made this known in an exclusive interview with Niger Star News Blog in Pankshin, at the end of a 5-Day training workshop organized by the Plateau State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASSA) sponsored by JICA.
JICA representative Gomina Hamza also called Government and other organization for interventions because it is crucial and necessary. There are several communities in need of such, hence government should make efforts in improving the capacity of staff of the RUWASSAs and WASH departments so that they can in turn help in repairing broken boreholes in rural communities in order to provide portable and safe drinking water.
He expresses satisfaction with the level of involment of participants during the field work which he and GM Pruwassa personally supervised. According to Mr Gomina, the participants have demonstrated that they can effectively communicate what they have learnt when they return to their various LGAs where they are expected to stepdown the knowledge acquired to various Communities.
Executive Chairman of Pankshin LGA, Hon Kakmena Audu Goteng, who was represented by his Deputy, Hon Denty Laven noted that the importance of the training workshop especially as it concerns water, which according to him is a necessity of life. He assured participants, especially those from Pankshin LGA of the readiness of the Council to support them achieve more in the rehabilitation of broken down boreholes, stressing that the biggest beneficiaries of the training are the LGAs.
Finally, there was a symbolic presentation of 19 tool boxes to PRUWASSA for onward distribution to the 17LGAs. There after vote of thanks came from the participants who expressed gratitude for the opportunity given to them to receive training. They promised to put the knowledge they got to work and not disappointed PRUWASSA and JICA Nigeria.
Nigeria Star News 